MLC PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

I usually do video tutorials for you guys, but this week I have been looking for some information myself on the internet and just didn't have time to sit through video tutorials. I needed the information quickly. It occurred to me that I should probably put some instructions into print for quick viewing. If you want to see this information in action (pun intended) head over to our Video Library and watch this video.

Step 1: Add A Layer

You can add a layer a few different ways. In the picture on the left, I have added a "new layer", by clicking the square at the bottom of the screen with the corner turned up. In the picture on the right, I have added an adjustment layer by clicking the half black, half white circle and choosing "Hue/Saturation". There is a big difference between these two pictures. One has a layer mask, and one does not. The picture on the right has a white box. This is called a layer mask. There are many different ways to add a new layer, for todays purposes, we will use these two examples. A layer is any level that is on top of the "Background" layer.

Step 2: Decide If Your Layer Is Black or White

I realize this may sound ridiculous but it is an important step. If the layer mask is white it means that you can see the effect on the image. If the layer mask is black it means that you cannot see the effect on the image, it is hidden. In the two pictures below, you can see that I have played an Action from our new Essential Vintage Action Set. Many layers have popped up, all of them with a white layer mask. In the third picture, you can see that the two layer masks are black.

STEP 3: Select The Brush Tool & Set Your Foreground Color

Brush Tool

The Brush

If your layer mask is white, you will need to use a black brush on it. If your layer mask is black, you will need to use a white brush on it. Think opposites. The picture to the left shows the brush tool highlighted. If you look at the bottom of the picture, you can see two squares, one is blue, one is white.

This is known as the foreground and background colors. The square on top is the foreground color, and the square at the back is the background color. When you are working with layer masks your foreground and background colors should be set to the default provided by Photoshop. Black and white. If yours is a different color, as pictured below click the little squares at the top right just above the big squares. This will set it back to the default.

Black Layer MaskIf your layer mask is black, this is what your foreground/background colors should look like. White on top, since you need to use a white brush.

White Layer MaskIf your layer mask is white, this is what your foreground/background colors should look like. Black on top, since you need to use a black brush.

Step 4: Brush Off On The White Layer Mask

In this image you can see that I have played an Action from the Essential Vintage Action Set called Afternoon Sun. It has a white layer mask and because of this, I can see the effect on the image.

In the image above you can see that the white layer mask is not selected. You will need to select the white layer mask by clicking on it. When it is selected, it will look like the image to the left.

Make sure that you set your brush opacity by using the slider to move the percentage between 0 and 100 percent. The lower the brush opacity, the less of the effect you will remove.Move your cursor over the image, click and drag it around the areas in white you want to remove the effect. In the image below I have removed the effect from the left 1/4th of the image.

Brush On, On The Black Layer Mask

In this image, I have played the Flower Child Action from the Essential Vintage Action Set, flattened, and played the Light/Dark brush which has black layer masks. When this Action plays, nothing happens. This is due to the black layer mask concealing the effect. This is done so that I can brush on light and dark only where I choose.

Select the layer mask by clicking on it. Make sure that your foreground color is set to white and that the brush tool is selected. Set the brush opacity to whatever works for your image. Click the image and drag the cursor to reveal the effect. In this case, I lightened the right 1/4 of the image.

But what if there is no layer mask?

No problem, you can add one. Simply click on the rectangle with a circle in it and a layer mask will pop up in the layer. It will automatically give you a white layer mask. If you want the effect concealed, you can do the following to change it.

Press Ctrl + I (PC) orCommand + I (MAC) on your keyboard.

I hope you found this helpful! You can watch the video here. Subscribe to our Free Photo Tips to have them delivered to your inbox!